New South Australian internet station to play 100% Aussie music

Luke Penman, a staple of the SA music scene for the past 15 years, has launched a new internet radio station called play / pause / play.

A blogger, podcaster, artist manager, music director and radio host, Penman set up the station to address a gap that he has identified in local music.

“The music industry is inherently tied to radio, but that relationship isn’t working in Adelaide,” he says.

“Our major commercial stations import most of their content from interstate – especially their music playlists – and play barely any local music. We have some great community radio stations, but nothing that is completely dedicated to the live music scene 24/7.”

play / pause / play will program 100% Australian music, focussing on music relevant to South Australians, as well as new releases by artists based in Adelaide and those set to perform in the city soon.

“The radio stream serves two core purposes: showcasing local artists, and keeping listeners informed about upcoming gigs in Adelaide,” he says.

“So many touring artists perform in Adelaide and don’t get the support they deserve from our radio stations. Now they will.”

The station is also set to incorporate artist workshops and interviews, and gig guides.

Penman set up the station with help of a $5,000 Live Music Enterprise Grant from the City of Adelaide, and he is also crowdfunding to secure funding for the next six months of operations, which has already seen almost 200 pledges.

“Music licensing fees are a huge cost, but it’s important that our artists are getting paid for the work they do, just like they would if commercial stations played them instead of repeating Ed Sheeran every hour,” says Penman.

“We’ve got so much to celebrate and be proud of in Adelaide that is being ignored by major commercial stations who care more about selling ad space than showcasing the world-class music that’s made here.”

“The response to the crowdfunding campaign has been overwhelming, and the positive feedback from listeners has been incredible. I’ve had people tell me they’re discovering new local music that they weren’t being exposed to elsewhere.

“I’ve had people come up and shake my hand in the pub and say they believe in what I’m doing. I had an Uber driver tell me that he’d already heard about the project from a previous passenger. This is a new music discovery option that South Australians have been crying out for. If we can maintain this momentum, this can be transformative for the local scene.”

The station is live now and to donate to the crowdfunding campaign head here. The campaign runs until July 13.